Canon EOS 50D Review

While the Canon EOS 5D Mark II has been getting all the hype since it’s release. However, the 50D which came out about the same time has been getting virtually zero publicity because of it’s bigger brothers full-frame sensor and video capabilities. So let’s take a good look at the EOS 50D and see if it is really worth an upgrade or if its just a minor refresh of the previous 40D.

Overview

The Canon EOS 50D is a 15.1 megapixel DSLR with an APS-C sized sensor. The 50D is available in a body-only or as a kit with a 28-135mm f/4-f/5.6 IS lens. If you are getting into a DSLR for the first time, the kit lens is actually a really nice general purpose lens which, by itself, sells for $410 making the kit with the lens a really good bargain.

Features

As already mentioned, the 50D features 15.1 megapixels, built-in sensor cleaner, ISO ranges from 100 – 6400. Besides some better overall specs, what really makes 50D different from previous models is the high resolution LCD display. With a large LCD with high resolution you can really see when an image is clear and sharp. Another enhancement over previous models is face detection when in Live View mode to help focus on individual faces.

C. Fn II : ImageCustom Function 3 changed to 1 to enable Highlight Tone Priority. This enables Highlight Tone Priority which can help from overexposing important aspects of your image. Note however that when this is enabled, you will not be able to go over ISO 3200 regardless of the previous setting.

C. Fn III : Autofocus/DriveCustom Function 3 changed to 1 to enable Multi-controller direct. This option enables you to select the autofocus point by using the multi-controller (mini joystick).

Live View Function Settings
Live View Shoot set to Enable to allow for Live View mode

Expo. Simulation set to enable so the LCD show how the exposure will look when the shot is taken

Grid Display was set to the rule of thirds overlay

Other Settings

Image quality was set to RAW.

Highlight Alert was enabled in order to show â€œblinkiesâ€ on the LCD to show overexposed areas

Finally, I made sure the date and time was correct, dropped in a compact flash card, formatted it and I was ready to go.

Using the EOS 50D

The first thing I get asked is “How good is the ISO performance?” so let’s start there. By default the 50D can shoot ISO 100-3200. If you enable ISO Expansion then you have ISO 6400 (H1) and 12800 (H2). However, just because you CAN go up to ISO levels like that doesn’t mean it really usable. The following image demonstrates the ISO performance from ISO 800 – 12,800.

As you can see, the ISO performance even up to ISO 6400 is actually pretty usable. Keep in mind that no noise reduction software was used to create this image, this is right out of the camera. Even some basic noise reduction will clean up the ISO 6400 images while the ISO 12,800 images would require some significant noise reduction to really make them usable.

Differences from the 40D

After the ISO question, the second most common question is “Is the 50D worth upgrading from the 40D?” so let’s compare a few key features between the two:

40D

50D

10.1 megapixel

15.1 megapixel

Live View

Live view with Face Detection

sRAW Mode

2 different sRAW modes

ISO 100 – 1,600

ISO 100 – 12,800

230,000 pixel display

920,000 pixel display

RCA video output

RCA/HDMI video output

While not everyone will need the new features, I certainly think that many people who are more serious shooters like wedding photographers will really appreciate the high ISO performance, the larger megapixel count and the high resolution display. Those are certainly the key selling points for me.

50D Coolness Features

We have already looked at some of the biggest of the 50D’s features but there are a number of features hidden in the 50D that are actually pretty cool even if they don’t make the short list that everyone talks the most about.

Live View Enhancements: Two different focusing modes are now available as well as a new face detection system for locking focus onto faces.

User Settings Modes: Two modes on the main dial allow you to create two custom modes for your custom settings.

How big are the images?

Well, they are pretty big. The following chart shows typical sizes for the different quality modes:

RAW

19.7mb

sRAW1

12.1mb

sRAW2

9.2mb

JPEG Fine

5.3mb

Coming from using a 30D (8 megapixel) this means that my storage requirements have just doubled.

Does it take good images?

Of course it does. Here are some samples:

ISO 100 f/22 1/100 12mm

ISO 3200 f/4.0 1/60 12mm

ISO 100 f/4.0 1/1600 18mm

ISO 200 f/16 1/160 24mm

The 50D Controversy

There is quite a lot of debate about the sensor’s pixel density and how the smaller pixels and density are a recipe for more noise. While this is a very hotly debated topic a lot of it depends on your shooting situation. You will most certainly see extra noise in areas of images that are underexposed while if you are shooting well, or slightly overexposed images you can really move up into the higher ISO ranges. As we have discussed in previous articles, digital sensors loose detail in underexposed areas while maintaining more detail in overexposed areas, thus its safe to slightly overexpose to help reduce noise and maintain detail. A good rule of thumb is to overexpose by 1/3 – 1/2 of a stop, even more if you can without clipping. Learning the nuances of how your particular camera works and where it’s unique “sweet spot” is will help you to get the best images from your camera.

Is the 50D the best choice for you?

You are the only one that can decide if any particular piece of equipment is the right choice for you. What I did was to rent the body from Borrowlenses.com for a week to really put it through its paces and do some major comparisons. After using it in a variety of conditions, I knew it was the right choice for me at this time.

Kerry Garrison lives in Castle Rock, Colorado with his wife and two dogs. With 10 years of experience shooting products and 5 years of experience in the wedding industry, Kerry brings a good deal of technical know-how and can explain topics in easy-to-understand terms.

28 Responses

I've been using a 50D for the past 6 months, and although I'm no expert, I should mention that I almost never crank the ISO up to past 1600. I shoot about 90% of my images at night and the 50D has a known problem about vertical-banding noise in its very-high ISO images. Generally you'll see this most in deep-shadow areas, which my photos tend to have a lot of, so I suppose the problem is magnified in my specific situation. The recent firmware update supposedly fixed it, but I still see it every now and then, albeit less frequently.

Good article. I purchased the 50D and am very happy with the results. The clarity is exceptional.To see a few of my shots (along with my old DSLR, the XTI) visit my photoblog at http://kay.shutterchance.com

Thanks for your article. In this moment, I wonder buying a 50D or a 5DmkII. In fact ther are not so big difference (price…).But does someone know if a “60D” following 50D with some setting from 5D like video and other cool features but without a full frame captor ?This one would be cheaper (yeah…!) had video, super high ISO ?What do you think ?

Good review and great camera. I have been using a 50D for about 3 months and one the biggest features for me that you didn't mention is the lens microadjustment feature that is also available on the 1D and 5D cameras. That feature alone has made the camera a big hit with me as my lenses have required significant adjustment to give perfect focus.

The 50D is essentially a 40D body wrapped around a newly-developed 15 megapixel sensor that finally rectifies the situation in which Canon's XXD range trailed the company's entry-level line, in pixel terms.

I am looking to start getting into photography and intend to do a wide variety of different shots. I am not interested in video ability through a slr camera but do want a high quality camera that gives high quality results. I am tossing up between the EOS 50D or the EOS 5D MkII and just really can't decide. I guess my major concern is that I do not want to outgrow the 5D and wish I had spent the extra on the 5D … what do you think the chances are of this? and is there a huge noticeable difference between the two's images???

When it comes to the images there are htree areas where the 5D Mk II beats the 50D. First off, the 5D Mk II is a full-frame sensor meaning there is no crop factor like the 50D has. This gives a wider field of view with the same lenses than the 50D. This may not be important to you as it wasn't for me. It would have been nice, but wasn't a deal breaker. Second, the 5D Mk II has one stop more of ISO performance before the image degrades rapidly. Again, the 50D's ISO performance was good enough for me and I didn't feel I needed the extra ISO. Finally, the 5D Mk II has greater megapixels which can allow you more cropping into an image without loosing any data. Can you tell the difference between images taken between the two cameras? No. We are only talking about feature differences, not image quality.

thanks … what size would a 15 mp go to in comparison to a 21 mp before any loss of resolution

If say I decided upon the 50D, I am looking at the EF 24-105mm f/4 L IS USM as a general purpose lens (or is there one better to use?) I do want a reasonable zoom from the camera. However for wide shots I am looking at an EF-S 10-22mm f/3.5-4.5 USM as I read this lens will give the widest aspect on this frame body. Is this a wise choice in lens or what would you recommend?